Harder To Breathe
by rhunter286
Summary: Peyton is given the oppertunity to have a new life, but can she decide who she loves more? I really suck at descriptions, I promise the story will be better: Rated Mature just in case.
1. Chapter 1

To say that my life was good would be a lie, but to say that I hated it would be the same. Sure, he abused and was terrible to me, but it was all worth it when a kind word would slip out, or a genuine smile would shine through all the madness. He was the Joker, what more could I expect?

I had once again awakened alone in my bed in the grimy old warehouse. No good morning kiss and no arms around me. I just wanted a normal relationship. Was that too much to ask, or was it just too much to ask from him?

There was a soft knock at the door, interrupting me from my train of thought. Bob, J's right hand man stuck his head into the room.

"Sorry to bother you, but the boss says that he is ready for breakfast."

Bob was my favorite of anyone that J had ever hired. He took care of everyone but himself, including me. Every time J would knock me down, he would shortly be there to pick me up again. I really don't know how or why he got mixed up with all this crime, but selfishly, I'm sure glad that he did.

I rolled out of bed and stumbled down the long hallway and into the kitchen. Most of the guys were watching the morning news, and J and Bob were sitting at the table. J was thumbing through the newspaper, while Bob was fiddling with the broken T.V. remote. As I entered the room, J's eyes raked up from his paper to me, and he plastered one of those fake Joker smiles on.

"Good morning sunshine!" he replied, letting go of a rattling cackle.

I smiled a half-hearted little smile back at him, and continued to the fridge to start breakfast for everyone. It was almost amusing how we all got along like a big family.

After breakfast, everyone assumed their daily posts. The guys all went outside to look out for any suspicious activity, J went to his office to hatch more twisted schemes, and I was alone again. I watched a couple soaps, and took a nap on the old couch in the makeshift living room. By 2:00 that afternoon, I still hadn't changed out of my pajamas, but I didn't care. I was lonely today, but I didn't really want to bother J when he was working.

Against my better judgment, I decided to go and talk to him. We hadn't really had a conversation in a couple weeks, much less anything to fulfill my romantic needs. He had almost been acting odd lately, even for him.

I slipped into his office, clearing my throat quietly. He didn't even look up.

"Are you okay," I spoke quietly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He replied; still not up from whatever he was working on.

"Well, I just… I don't know… we just haven't talked in a while. I thought that maybe something was wrong."

He let out a big sigh, finally looking at me. He dropped the pencil in his hand and stood up. I was unsure of what to do at the moment. This was one of those times where his mood could swing either way.

He made his way over to me, and pulled me in for a deep kiss. It was just like one of his smiles though, not genuine, see-through even. He was doing it for my benefit. Something really was bothering him.

"I am fine. Don't be worried about me. "He said as he turned and walked back toward his desk. I stood still, just where he had left me for a long moment and watched him before I retreated out of the room to spend the rest of my day alone. Maybe he was just stressed out. He did have a big job planned for tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: _Thanks for reading! I have been sitting on this idea for a long time, and decided to finally put it down. I have never really thought about the whole thing though, just bits and pieces, so bear with me while I'm getting started. Sorry the chapters are short! Thanks for reading and please review!_

He didn't come out of his office until it was about time for them to leave.

"Are you coming with us?" He asked me.

"No… not tonight. I'm not really feeling it." I replied. He didn't knock himself out to be with me earlier… why should I now?

"Well it will help out our story if they see me roughing you up a little…" He pulled me up off the couch and into a seductive hold while some of the guys laughed manically in the background. I hated when he did this to me.

"I'm not so worried about the story," I said with a hint of disgust in my voice as a pushed myself away from him.

We had developed a little story that if the cops (or the bat) ever caught him, we would act as if I was a hostage. That way I could attempt to break him out if needed. It was a good plan, but we hadn't really started it into action yet.

I walked away toward my bedroom and he muttered something under his breath and left for the night. If the job went well, they would go to the bar and probably not be home until tomorrow. If the job went bad, it was better for me to just stay out of the way.

Half way through the night, I was falling asleep while watching TV in my bed, when I heard the front door open very quietly. Not a 'J coming home drunk' quiet either. No, there was someone here that wasn't supposed to be.

I pulled the hand gun out of my nightstand drawer and quietly crept down the hallway. I opened the door to the kitchen area and snapped on the light, taking aim, and there he was.

Batman turned, alarmed and ready to fight. When his eyes fell on me he just stopped with a confused look on his face. We stood there for a good minute just staring at each other. He spoke first.

"Who are you?" His gruff voice broke the silence.

"Um… I'm… Peyton.." I instantly punished myself for using my real name.

"What are you doing here?" He replied, eyeing the gun in my hands.

"I'm a hostage." I sort of blurted out, setting the gun down on the table. "I just… I follow instructions." I said, indicating the gun and feeling a little defeated and stupid for trying to sell the story.

"Right. Where is he?" Batman replied, brushing off the awkwardness.

"I don't know. They went out. Didn't tell me where."

"I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Well I am here by myself. Why would he tell me? So I could go to the cops and tell them? I don't think so."

"What's to stop you from running away?" There it was. He stopped me in my tracks.

"Um… he would just track me down and probably make things worse than they already are."

"Isn't that what I'm here for?" He said, making an advance toward me. You have got to be kidding me. He was really playing the hero card wasn't he?

I stepped back and he stopped his advance.

"You aren't a hostage, are you?" He asked, looking me directly in the eye.

I sighed, defeated. "No. But it's a long story and neither of us have time. You should go."

"And just leave you here?" He asked, astounded that I would even suggest something of the sort. "I think I should take you with me. Let you tell Gordon your 'long story'."

"I don't think so." Something had dawned on me. Something that just might work. "I don't get very excited about him hurting innocent people. Maybe we can work something out. I will tip you off every once in a while, you know, let you bust those bigger schemes, if you keep me a secret from Gordon and everyone else. Do we have a deal?"

"Why should I trust you?" He asked, advancing again.

"Because I know something Bruce." Bomb dropped.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: _Sorry I have taken so long on these. It has been a LONG time since I have had time to sit down and write without having to worry about what I should be doing. Plus the fact that I have like no ideas whatsoever, so if anyone thinks of something, shoot me a message and let me know. This one is a little dull and short. Sorry. Anyway, here we go. Remember to review and ideas are welcome!_

Something flashed in his eyes. It was gone before he could blink, but I still saw it. "What are you talking about?" he said with an ice cold stare. He was trying to scare me. It was going to take a lot more than that.

"You might as well drop the act and just fess up. I have my mind made up and I am not changing it." I said casually, really hoping I was right at this point. I was almost completely positive about his true identity, but there was still that little glimmer of uncertainty

He stared at me. Just stared. I raised my eyebrows expectantly. He sighed.

"Fine. How did you know?" He looked very defeated and I felt a little guilty for bursting his bubble.

"Well, it was pretty easy. You have the motive, the money, and the mysterious lifestyle. I'm actually surprised that no one else has figured it out yet…"

"I guess we have a deal then," he said as he offered me his gloved hand to seal the deal.

"Excellent." I whispered, a smirk on my face. I took his hand and we shook. The next thing I knew he was out the window and gone.

The next morning I awoke and wandered into the kitchen. Surprisingly, J was already up, sitting at the kitchen table drinking his coffee. I had no idea what time they had all gotten home, but J had a clean white t-shirt on and freshly painted makeup. His vacant stare turned to me with interest when I entered the room.

"You should have come with us. We had fun. Got in a high speed chase and everything. Anything interesting happen around here?" He was incredibly chipper. I started to walk around the table when he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me onto his lap. It was nice to be getting some affection for once.

"Nope. Just a normal boring night. But I was thinking-"

"Oh great.." He interrupted.

"Maybe we should get a new hideout. You know, we've been in this one for a while and… well… we could be getting easier to track or something. "

"Did something happen last night that I need to know about?" He turned me around so he could look me in the eyes.

"No…" I said, dropping my eyes and breaking the contact as I stood up and continued my original quest to get my coffee.

"I trust you." He said. He was in a _really _good mood. "I'll start looking for new places today. Shouldn't be too hard to find something."

I got my coffee and sat down at the table. "So what is on your agenda for today?"

"I have some work to do. I have been sitting on a plan. I don't know all the details yet, but it's going to be big."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Once again, sorry this took so long. It literally took me like a week to get this all out. I kept writing a couple paragraphs and then giving up. I tried to make it a little longer this time though! Also, remember to review and if you have any ideas for me PLEASE message me! Thanks for reading! P.S.: My previous chapters have been in first person, but I am doing this one as a narrative. I will probably keep switching back and forth through the whole fic._

The rain beat down on the windshield, making it impossible for Peyton to see. She just hoped another lightning bolt would flash and light the road enough for her to confirm where she was. She turned off onto a side road. Two big gates stood open with a path leading out of sight.

Peyton put her hood up and made a break for the front porch. She knocked on the enormous wooden door. After a few seconds, the door opened and there he was. Bruce Wayne. She had expected someone else to answer, but nope he was standing there in all of his bachelor glory. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans and Peyton's heart just melted. He looked just as surprised to see her.

"Peyton! Um… Come in!" Bruce said, stepping aside to give her room to come through the door. Peyton stepped into the house admiring the huge foyer. "I was just getting ready to start a movie. Want to join me?" He asked. She couldn't tell if he was sincere or just being polite.

"I can't stay long. I just came to deliver a message." She pulled an envelope out of her pocket. "Truthfully I didn't think I would get you. I figured someone else would answer the door. I was just going to drop it off. Anyway, here you go." She handed him the envelope and his hand lingered on hers for just a moment too long.

"Well my butler is off for the weekend. Can't you just tell me what it says?" He asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

She smiled slyly and dropped her eyes. "Nah. Just watch the bridges in the next few days. That's all I have for you." Peyton walked back to the front door and opened it. A huge clap of thunder boomed and the lights flashed off and then on again. The rain was coming down in sheets, making it impossible to see off the front step.

"You better just stay. Come on. I have plenty of bedrooms for you to choose from." Bruce said, each word persuading her more and more. Peyton stood there, still staring out into the rain as Bruce crept up behind her and closed the door, blocking out the cold rain. "Come on."

She sighed, defeated, and followed him into the huge living room. He popped in a movie, some bloody horror flick. Peyton found that he wasn't really watching it though. Every time she would look over at him, he would be looking back at her. She couldn't lie to herself though. She was attracted to him. She felt comfortable with him, even though they barely knew each other, and she felt as if he thought the same way.

The movie ended, and Bruce began to pick her brain. He asked her a million questions about her past, her relationship, and just her life in general. She however was locked up tighter than a drum. Bruce knew that he could eventually get something out of her, but it would take the right provocation. Peyton eventually maneuvered the subject off of herself.

"So your butler is gone for the weekend? You don't have anyone else that works for you?" She asked.

"Nope. It's just Alfred and I. When you have a secret like mine, its best to keep the operation small." Bruce replied.

"I suppose that's true," Peyton said, reaching for the coffee table in front of her to get her drink. As she reached forward, her sleeve rode up a little and Bruce saw something that made him sick to his stomach.

"Is that a handprint?" He asked, reaching for Peyton's arm. She tried to jerk it away, but he was too fast for her. He pulled her sleeve up, and sure enough, there it was. Black, blue, and purple, you could clearly see where each of his fingers had bruised her skin.

She jerked her arm away and pulled her sleeve back down. "Don't worry about it." She commanded defensively. But Bruce was worried about it.

"He can't treat you like that! Why do you let that happen? Why don't you leave?" Bruce asked. He was getting all worked up now. He felt as if she was his responsibility now, even though he literally knew nothing about her. He almost felt as if he… _loved_ her.

"I should go." She said shortly, getting up. The storm had quieted down quite a bit. Bruce just sat there and watched her walk out. He didn't know what was going on. He had never felt such a strong connection to anyone before, and it was scaring him. He walked to the window and watched her drive away; hoping she would turn around and come back, or even just tap the breaks to show that she was thinking about it. The last thing he wanted to think about was her going back to that maniac. 

Peyton drove back slowly, wanting to take her sweet time. She didn't want J to know that she had been crying. The reality was that no one had ever cared about her. When J would beat her, the guys would leave the room, or just stand and watch. They would never offer her any sort of compassion or even sympathy. And here Bruce was, acting appalled at one of the most minor injuries she had ever received from J. All this time Peyton had convinced herself that what he did to her was okay because she had never seen anyone act like it wasn't. Bruce had her all confused.

She walked into the new place and J was sitting there on the grubby couch in the makeshift living room. It was a far stretch from where she had spent her evening. He stood when she entered.

"Where have you been?" He asked, taking another drink from the half empty bottle in his hand.

"Just… out." Peyton replied, taking a step back. He was not happy.

"Well I expected you home a while ago. I had plans for you tonight." He said, as he hurled the bottle against the wall, the sound of the shattering glass echoing through the room.

He advanced on her, and she stood still. There was no point in running. That would only make it worse. She wished she would have stayed.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Well here it is: the history. So I really have no idea where this came from at all. Seriously. I had two or three backstories in my head, but none of them were even remotely close to this one. It just started spewing out like word vomit, so that's what I kept. It is very condensed. I feel like I shouldn't spend that much time on it, so it is just a general outline. Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed! It is really great to know that someone is actually reading your story and enjoying it. As always, any ideas are welcome and PLEASE REVIEW! Love you guys! _

The next morning, Peyton awoke in her bed, curled into J's chest. He had one of his arms loosely wrapped around her body and was breathing lightly. She opened her eyes, and as soon as the light hit she had a splitting headache. She sat up slowly, holding her head in her hands. There was dried blood on her face, probably from her nose, and she could feel a black eye.

She was still wearing the same gray shirt that she had on last night, blood staining it around the collar. J had taken her jeans off, and there was a large cut up the side of her leg. She sat there with her head still in her hands, squeezing her eyes closed, hoping all the pain would go away.

J sat up, chuckling slightly at her pathetic position. "Rough night?" he asked. She ignored him and held her hand out. He knew what she wanted and leaned over to snag a half bottle of vodka off of the bedside table. She took the bottle from him and took a big drink. She didn't know what time it was, and she didn't care. She was starting early today.

"That's my girl." He said as she handed the bottle back to him. She climbed over J and stumbled into the bathroom. She began to clean herself up, revealing a few more minor cuts and bruises on her face and body. Her black eye didn't look too bad. It certainly wasn't the worst one he had ever given her. She turned the shower on and let it completely steam up the bathroom before she got in.

She emerged from the bathroom to find J still lying in bed. He watched her as she put on a fresh shirt and pulled on some jeans. She dug through drawers until she found matching socks, and then pulled on her favorite cowboy boots. Looking at them made her smile, taking her back to when she first came to Gotham.

Peyton wasn't always a city girl. She was raised in a small town outside Louisville, Kentucky. Her father was a veterinarian and owned a breeding ranch, and he even ran a few horses every now and then. She was an only child and was catered to on a daily basis, but not everything was as it seemed. She and her father were that family that looked perfect together, but behind closed doors was falling apart.

Her mother had died while giving birth to her, leaving her father to raise Peyton all on his own. Her father spent most of his day outside and in the barn, so that's where she would stay too. She could almost ride a horse before she could walk.

As Peyton got older and began to take care of herself, her and her father drifted further apart. Their conversations were reduced to short snippets in the barn, Peyton commenting on how well the newest colt would do as a jumper instead of being sold into the racing business, and so on. It was never a serious talk. She had no rules, but she didn't really need them.

Shortly after Peyton had turned 18, she received a phone call late one night. He father had been killed in a freak car accident while coming home from an emergency call. After everything was taken care of, she moved to Gotham, just wanting to get away from everything. Her father had left her everything in his will, so she took her time and sold the farm and all the horses to the right buyers.

The first time she walked the streets in Gotham were in those cowboy boots. People were pushing and shoving, all trying to make their way to wherever they were going. It was loud and grimy, and Peyton loved it. With everything that was going on, her father's death was easily pushed out of her mind.

After a couple months in Gotham she was settled in just fine. One night in December, she was walking home. It was late; she had just been on a date, but apparently the guy didn't have enough decency to walk her home. She was just strolling along, just a few blocks away from her apartment when arms wrapped around her body and pressed a rag to her face. That was the last thing that she remembered.

The two men drug her body into an alley, where they shined a light on her face. "Yup. That's her," the larger of the two men said. "Loaded little bitch is won't turn us down if she finds out what we will do if she doesn't give us the money."

The men had just been hired by someone new to Gotham. He hadn't really made a name for himself yet, and he wasn't really making money either. Looking around the city, the guys had targeted Peyton as soon as they found out where she came from. They drug her back to the old warehouse to wait for the moment that she woke up.

Peyton woke up in a dark room. She was bound to a chair with her hands tied behind her back. As she began to wake up a little more, she heard the door open, and the overhead light snapped on. Two men walked in; one big and burly and the other a little smaller but still intimidating.

"You better be quiet or you'll wake the boss up. This will be real easy if you just do what you are told." The smaller one said softly. "You are going to get that checkbook out and write us one for, oh, about 250 grand. That should about do it."

"And if I don't?" Peyton asked. She was taught never to back down from a fight.

"You won't wake up again," Finished the bigger man, pulling a baseball bat out of a duffel bag.

Peyton was scared, but kept her cool quite nicely. "Well if I am going to write a check, you will need to untie me." She said, every possibility of escape and consequence running through her mind. The smaller one nodded and the other advanced to untie her.

The second her hands were free, she punched the big man and took off running in the direction for the door. Just as she was reaching for the doorknob, arms were pulling her back. He had ahold of her by her hair and he pulled her close until she could barely even struggle against his grip. She began screaming bloody murder.

The next thing she knew, the door behind them opened and a figure emerged. He was holding a gun, but it was not aimed at her. He had it pointing at the big guy's head. He was tall and slightly built. He wore purple slacks with a blue shirt and green vest. He had dirty-blonde hair that almost seemed slightly green at the tips, and his face was painted like a clown. The things that stuck out the most, however, were the scars on either side of his mouth, carving his face into a grisly smile.

"Put the girl down." He commanded simply and quietly. The big man set her down on the floor. "What do you think you are doing? This has nothing to do with the plan." He proceeded.

"Well we just thought we could make a little extra cash…," Started the smaller henchman, this strange man held up a hand to shut him up.

"You guys don't believe that I am going to come through on this, do you?" he asked.

"Well you haven't really done anything ye..."

And then it happened. This clown shot the smaller man dead in the middle of his sentence. He turned and in a split second picked off the bigger man also.

"Sneaking around behind my back… stupid," He mumbled to himself as he offered Peyton a hand. She took it and stood up, unsure of what just happened.

"Who are you?" She asked, taking a step back.

"The Joker." He replied.

Peyton floated back into the real world. It had been three years since that day. She still didn't know why she had stayed with him that night. She supposed it was a combination of his heroic rescuing of her from the terrible men and the fact that she had never been with someone dangerous before. She was intrigued by him.

"I'm going to the store," she stated. She really just wanted to get away from J. He was acting very strange today. He hardly ever slept with her, especially after beating her. She didn't know what was going on, and she didn't really care. She just wanted some time alone.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Mini chapter! I have been so busy lately and have had no time to write, so I thought I would go ahead and post what I had down so far so you guys wouldn't think I had forgotten you! Thank you so so much for the reviews! They mean a lot! Please keep them coming! I am hoping to have the rest of this up very soon (maybe later this week?), but this will have to do for now:/

Peyton walked into the grocery store, pulling the baseball cap down a little farther on her head. Her long brown hair was tucked into a low bun and she wore a t-shirt and jeans. She was trying to stay as covert and unnoticed as possible.

She finished her shopping and hurried back out into the streets of Gotham. She always went uptown to shop so she could avoid all the pervs and creepy guys that hung out in her neighborhood. She walked briskly along, trying to stay unnoticed. She looked down at her phone to check the time when she smacked into something hard.

She dropped one of her grocery bags and looked up to apologize to the stranger she had bumped into.

"Peyton?" Bruce looked into her face and his eyes instantly flew to her black eye and other bruises. "Get in the car." He grabbed her by the arm and pushed her into the back seat of his car, turning and grabbing her groceries and hat before climbing in himself. "Let's go home Alfred." He said, and the car pulled away.

Once inside the car, Bruce just stared at her.

"I really can't do this right now. I need to go back." Peyton pleaded.

"Peyton this is my butler, Alfred." Bruce said, ignoring her protest.

"Pleasure." She said, with her first sincere smile of the day.

"I have heard a lot about you ma'am. The pleasure is mine." He replied.

They all sat in silence the rest of the car ride. She didn't want to talk to Bruce right now. She was self-conscious about her new injuries, especially considering how Bruce had acted the other night. She didn't want to talk about it, and she didn't intend to.

When they arrived at the manor, she let herself out of the car and slammed the door behind her. Alfred retrieved her groceries and Bruce hurried around the car, grabbing her arm again and pulling her inside the mansion. Once all three had made it through the doors, Peyton jerked her arm away and glared at Bruce.

"I'm getting really tired of you man-handling me like that. You are just like him."

Bruce's face fell, and he watched Peyton walk up the big staircase in front of her. She had never been upstairs in his house before, but she would find somewhere to go. She already felt guilty for what she had said, and she didn't want to face Bruce any time soon.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I am absolutely so sorry this has taken so long. I have had papers to write, and a psychology group project that my group has refused to participate on, so I was stuck doing the whole thing alone. And then none of them showed up to participate in the presentation. I'm pretty pissed about that. But oh well. Writing should make me feel better. So would reviews P.S.- There is a lot of horse-ness in this chapter… I just can't help it, but there is also a little romance…

Peyton had wandered into the library upstairs. She gave the door a small shove behind her as she entered the room. It was a fair-sized with a big bay window in the back that looked out over the grounds on the back side of the house. She wandered over to the window, plopped down on the bench and looked out. There was a big courtyard and garden, and what looked like a barn. Her eyes wandered farther into the distance where she saw a chestnut horse, grazing contentedly. This got her attention, but she didn't want to talk to Bruce yet.

She remained sitting in the window for quite a while, every second regretting what she had said. The room was quiet and left her mind to rake over everything that had been going on lately. J had been so weird this morning. She was slightly unsettled that Bruce hadn't come to find her yet. He was supposed to be the hero, after all.

Bruce sat downstairs, head in his hands feeling terrible. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to go after her, but no, she probably didn't want to talk to him. Alfred had gone back into town to get groceries, what he and Bruce were originally going to do before Bruce ran into Peyton. Bruce sat and listened to the silence of the mansion, making it even worse for himself. He tried turning on the TV, telling himself that she would come down when she was ready, but it didn't help. After a short time, he turned the TV off and sort of slammed the remote down on the table. He was going to find her.

Bruce crept up the stairs, amusing himself at how he was trying to be quiet, as if she would run away if she heard him. He noticed that the library door was cracked, and figured that is where she went. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open. She sat there, staring vacantly out the window. When she heard him she looked and when their eyes met they both began apologizing at the same time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Bruce started.

"No, it's my fault. I blew it out of proportion. Seriously. Don't worry about it." Peyton interrupted. Before Bruce could say anything else she changed the subject. "So whose horse is that?" She asked, indicating the window.

"Oh, that's Charlie. Alfred bought him in the rash attempt to get me to play polo when I first started Batman. You know, to explain my injuries. He is crazy though. No one can ride him." Bruce replied.

"I will take that challenge." Peyton replied, pushing past Bruce and out of the room.

"I don't think that's a very good idea!" Bruce yelled after her, but she was practically already down the stairs.

When Bruce reached the bottom of the stairs, she was had snagged the baseball cap she had been wearing that morning and was adjusting it on her head. Bruce mentioned her to follow him to the garage where there was a gator parked. They climbed in and took off toward the barn.

"So how many years have you had him?" Peyton asked. Even after the apologies and change of subject it was still a little awkward between them.

"Oh, probably about three. I have a guy feeds him and takes him out every morning and back in at night, but that's pretty much the extent of his human relations. Joe always has a hell of a time moving him though. I'm telling you Peyton, he is nuts. You really shouldn't try this."

"I have been thrown off of more horses than you could imagine Bruce. I will be fine."

When they reached the pasture, Charlie raised his head skeptically, and then went right back to eating. He kept a weary watch on the couple though as they approached.

"He's fat." Laughed Peyton. Charlie let them approach, and when they got within a couple of feet he jerked his head up and Bruce stopped. "You scared?" Peyton mocked. "You spend all night beating bad people and you are scared of a little old pony?"

Bruce was quickly getting irritated with her mocking, but he let it slide. Peyton casually approached Charlie and petted him quietly on the neck. His head relaxed a little, but Bruce did not relax at all. Peyton quietly placed the halter on him and began to lead him off, but as soon as the rope pulled tight, he tried to bolt and then reared. Bruce grabbed Peyton, pulling her to the ground and causing her to let go of the rope. Charlie bolted off across the pasture, the rope flying behind him.

Bruce lay on top of Peyton, and she looked up at him, clearly pissed off. This was not exactly the look he had hoped to inspire. She pushed him off of her and said in a very irritated tone, "Thanks. Now he is going to be worse."

It took her another half an hour to catch Charlie, but she finally did. She led him to the barn with a little trouble, and got him saddled, trying to avoid bites and kicks the whole time. She led him out to Bruce's small arena, Bruce close in tow carrying a helmet.

Before Peyton mounted, Bruce attempted to push the helmet into her hands, but she wouldn't accept it. "Come on! Just give me a little peace of mind!" Bruce exclaimed, but Peyton just shook her head and climbed onto the mounting block.

She mounted the big horse and he stood there as stiff as a board. Bruce took a step back. Peyton lightly brushed her heels on his side and the rodeo started. Charlie began bucking and rearing, bolting around all over the arena. He crow-hopped to the side, sending Peyton sailing to the ground. She landed, rolling over on her side with a groan. Bruce was at her side almost instantly, brushing her hair out of her face. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before Bruce closed the distance between them, pulling her into a passionate kiss. After a few moments, Peyton moved her hands to his chest and pushed him off of her.

She closed her eye a moment and sighed. She didn't say anything and pushed Bruce off of herself as she stood to retrieve Charlie who had stopped and was standing a short distance away. Bruce also stood, confused, and caught her arm, spinning her around and pulling her into another kiss. When they pulled apart, Peyton smiled and said "Yeah. I got that the first time." With a little giggle at Bruce's astounded look she went and grabbed Charlie's reins.

She positioned herself next to the horse's head and looked him straight in the eye. "That will not happen again. Behave."

She climbed back onto his back and encouraged him forward, and he walked on quietly. Bruce still stood where she had left him. He couldn't decide whether he was more surprised at the way Peyton had acted, or the fact that Charlie was now acting like a child's lesson horse. He watched as Peyton expertly steered him around the arena, putting him through all his gates. He quietly did whatever she asked, being as loyal as a puppy.

When she finished riding, she climbed down from his back, turning to face Bruce with a smug little grin. "No one can ride him?" she said, raising her eyebrows, as she started back to the barn. Bruce followed, still dumfounded.

Once Bruce had made it back into the barn, Peyton already had the saddle pulled off and was brushing Charlie's flawless chestnut coat. Bruce stepped between her and the horse, putting his arms up and pinning her to the wall.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked, giving her a little grin. "Never have I kissed a woman and her return the kiss, and then completely ignore me!" His little rant continued a moment, but Peyton cut him off by pulling him into another kiss.

"Happy now?" She winked, and went back to grooming the horse.


	8. Author's Note

Author's Note:

I feel terrible. Holiday seasons are not good for writing. But I do have good news: I have the next three days off and home alone, so hopefully, longer, better chapters will be on their way.

Also, I made a facebook for the story, add me! The link is on my profile under website or homepage or whatevs.


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